Thursday, 10 January 2013

Upcoming Tournaments and Events

So, 2013 is starting out with a plethora of tournaments and events and just because my brain is too fucked up to fight doesn't mean you shouldn't be out there checking these tournaments and seminars out. Starting off with 3 seminars. I'd recommend going to both, if you can teleport.Egor Radzik is doing a No Gi / MMA Submission Seminar in London, Ontario this Saturday the 12th. Egor has crazy Sambo leg locks, and a brown belt in BJJ. If you like leg locks, you should be there. It's only 40 bucks, and all participants get $30 off their next Redstar gi order. So, if you’re in the market for a new gi, it's an even better deal!Gui Mendes will be at Pura BJJ for a 3 hours seminar this Saturday the 12th from 11am till 2pm. There are still a couple spots available so contact PJ, or Joe to save your spot. Gui is going to be at Open Mat on Sunday the 13th for a 3 hour seminar as well. I don't know if there is space available still, check out that Facebook event for who to contact and whatnot.Gui will be teaching classes at Pura all week from the 14th till the 18th as well. They are open to anyone for $70 per class. You can see the schedule for these on the "Pura BJJ Schedule" link on the left. Finally, Also on Saturday, Mestre Sylvio Behring will be doing a seminar in Brampton. He's kind of a big deal, so if you’re in the area, you might want to check it out.So you Grappling Goons, you have no excuse to not doing lots of jiu jitsu on Saturday. 3 great opportunities right there.First up in the tournament category is Ascension. (Jan 19th 20th) This will be the tournament’s 8th year and they've come along way. Ascension is an OJA tournament so comes with the usual quality that comes with them. Pre-registration, quality refs, decent organization, and friendly people! Ascension is unique in the vibe it has. Omar brings the Rasta vibe. Last year had the most amazing rendition of O Canada. Good times. They also have the BEST food for a tournament ever. Mmmm. Jerk chicken, brownies, salad. Amazing.Also coming up is Montreal Grappling on January 26th . I love these tournaments. They have come a long way since their first event and are constantly improving. They've implemented IBJJF weight classes, masters divisions and another mat area in the last couple events. They are also giving away a few trips to Pans, which is huge. The referees at the events are also constantly improving. I’ll admit, they were not the greatest at first, but they have since taken the IBJJF course and have gained a lot of experience.Next up, also in Montreal, is the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials on Saturday Feb 9th and 10th. This is not an event for noobs, it is not for people with fresh belts, and it is not a good choice for someone’s first competition. That being said, It's generally a very well-run tournament, and I am very disappointed that I won't be competing. This year they have added a LOT of ladies divisions, and changed it up a bit. For purple and up, there are a bunch of weight classes and 2 absolutes, if you medal in your weight class, you get to play in the absolute. Previously, it was only 2 weight classes, and the winner wins. I think this way will get more ladies out and will have an overall more enjoyable experience. This tournament is a qualifier for the Abu Dhabi World Pro tournament, in Abu Dhabi UAE. Winners of certain absolutes and divisions will get an all expense paid trip there.

Heading back to the GTA next for Grappling Industries second visit to Toronto. On Feb 16th They Bring their unique format back to the GTA with trips to the Mundials on the line. This is a great tournament for beginners and experienced competitors alike. If your a noob, and you get smashed in the first round it's OK, you've still got 3 more fights in the round robin to get more experience. The staff at grappling industries has promised a lot of improvements from their last event (which was a raging success in my opinion), so I am really looking forward to this event.

Last, but not least, for this blog post anyway, on Feb 23rd the OJA brings the first SUB ONLY tournament to Ontario! There isn't a ton of information out about this yet, but it should be a lot of fun. Keep your eyes open in the OJA and Ontario BJJ Tournament Facebook groups for more info. Here are the rules, for you to look at while we wait for more information.